The present invention relates to efficient delivery and placement systems of items such as switch contacts, domes, metal domes, force activated switches, snap-acting switches and the like. Specifically, the present invention focuses upon apparatus and methods for the automatic or perhaps even manual delivery and placement of metal domes and the like during manufacturing of electronics such as membrane switches, rotary switches, tact switches, keyboards, phones, printed circuit boards, and the like, and perhaps even manufacturing of non-electronic items.
A tactile metal dome switch may give a user a positive tactile feedback when depressed, and may even allow a user to know that a switch has made contact without the aid of visual confirmation. A typical snap acting switch, dome, or metal dome may have a moveable contact actuated between a closed position and a normally open position upon movement of a switch. Membrane switch industries and related electro-mechanical switch industries may have a use for domes and the like. A tactile metal dome may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to: mobile phone, pager, automotive, consumer electronics, appliance, membrane, keypads and the like. Tactile metal domes, tactile metal dome arrays and the like, may be momentary switch contacts that, when used in conjunction with a printed circuit board, flex circuit, membrane or the like, become normally-open tactile switches. Other uses may include complete switch assemblies, constant force domes, flat panels, and the like. It may be desirable to provide an efficient system for placement and manufacture of metal domes in such devices.
Metal domes may be placed on a printed circuit board, flex circuits, membranes and the like with the use of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or perhaps even a system that picks up and drops off domes onto a surface. In their relaxed state, the metal domes may rest on the outer rim of a primary pathway. When pushed, domes may collapse and may make contact with a secondary pathway, thereby closing a circuit. In another example, individual domes may be backed with a square of polyester-adhesive. Each individual dome may then be peeled off of a release liner and may be placed onto a circuit board, flex circuit or membrane with the polyester-adhesive serving to hold a dome in place. Another example, as discussed in PCT publication no. WO 00/68964 to Nicomatic, includes a burn-in and testing of subassemblies of electrical devices such as subassemblies comprising an adhesive film and several keyboard elastic domes useful for making keyboards. Problems associated with pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, polyester-adhesive, systems for picking up and placement or the like may include additional assembly time and perhaps even additional costs.